MARIGOT:--- Drinking-water samples collected in Hope Estate and Cul-de-Sac met the quality limits listed in official sanitary reports but failed a separate quality reference because of their chlorite concentrations, prompting the regional health authority, ARS, to call for monitoring.
The findings appear in four water-quality reports reviewed by SMN News covering sampling points in Quartier d’Orléans, Hope Estate, Cul-de-Sac and at the Louis Constant Fleming Hospital.
ARS concluded that the Quartier d’Orléans and hospital samples met the quality requirements for all measured parameters. Its conclusions for Hope Estate and Cul-de-Sac specifically identified chlorites as requiring attention.
At Hope Estate, a sample collected from the kitchen tap at the ARS office on September 3, 2026, at 9:00 a.m. recorded a chlorite concentration of 0.307 milligrams per liter.
At Cul-de-Sac, a sample collected from a distribution sampling point that same day at 10:09 a.m. recorded 0.255 milligrams per liter.
For both samples, ARS stated that the water complied with quality limits but did not comply with quality references because the chlorite concentration exceeded the applicable reference value. The authority said the parameter should be monitored.
The distinction matters when interpreting the findings. The reports’ analytical tables display a chlorite quality limit of 0.70 milligrams per liter, and both results were below that figure. However, ARS separately identified a failure to meet its quality reference. The documents do not specify the numerical reference behind that assessment.
The hospital sampling point recorded a lower chlorite concentration of 0.144 milligrams per liter on September 3. ARS concluded that this sample complied with quality requirements for all measured parameters.
The Quartier d’Orléans report, dated July 3, 2026, recorded chlorites at 0.184 milligrams per liter and received the same compliant conclusion.
Microbiological findings were consistent across the four samples. E. coli, enterococci, and coliform bacteria were reported below one organism per 100 milliliters. Pseudomonas aeruginosa was also below that reporting threshold in each sample.
Other reported measurements included chlorides between 224 and 232 milligrams per liter, below the displayed quality reference of 250 milligrams per liter. Water pH ranged from 7.90 to 8.16, within the listed reference range of 6.50 to 9.00.
The analyses were performed by the Laboratoire Santé Environnement Hygiène de Lyon, CARSO-LSEHL, as part of sanitary controls prescribed by ARS.
The documents leave follow-up questions for the health authority and those responsible for the water supply: Were additional samples taken at Hope Estate and Cul-de-Sac? Did subsequent chlorite results meet the quality reference? Were any treatment adjustments made?
The four reports do not answer those questions or include instructions to boil water or stop consuming it. Their findings concern the sampled locations and dates and do not establish water quality throughout Saint-Martin today.
| Sampling location | Date printed in report | Chlorites | ARS conclusion |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quartier d’Orléans, 135 Rue Principale | July 3, 2026 | 0.184 mg/L | Compliant with quality requirements for all measured parameters. |
| Louis Constant Fleming Hospital sampling point | September 3, 2026 | 0.144 mg/L | Compliant with quality requirements for all measured parameters. |
| Hope Estate, ARS office kitchen tap | September 3, 2026 | 0.307 mg/L | Compliant with quality limits, but not compliant with quality references due to chlorites. Monitoring required. |
| Cul-de-Sac, distribution sampling point | September 3, 2026 | 0.255 mg/L | Compliant with quality limits, but noncompliant with quality references because of chlorites. Monitoring required. |
Quartier d’Orléans source: 00140259_Saint Martin.pdf
Hospital source: 00140260_Saint Martin.pdf
Hope Estate source: 00140263_Saint Martin.pdf
Cul-de-Sac source: 00140264_Saint Martin.pdf
All four reports recorded E. coli, enterococci, and coliform bacteria below the reporting threshold of one organism per 100 milliliters. Legionella entries were marked “N.M.” and should not be presented as negative test results.
The tables display a chlorite quality limit of 0.70 mg/L. Nevertheless, ARS explicitly flagged Hope Estate and Cul-de-Sac against a separate quality reference. The reports do not state the numerical reference used in those conclusions.
